STOMPing To a New Beat
By: Twanji
Kalula
With
some of today’s most popular songs being nothing
more than over-produced, layered sound bites, it is easy to forget that at the
core of every hit single is a basic beat. Attending the opening night of the
international hit dance and musical extravaganza, STOMP brought the reality of this to the fore.
After
spending over 15 years touring the globe in various forms, with universal
success, STOMP has decided to stop in
STOMP’s premise is simple. It
is a show consisting of eight international performers who use a combination of
various household goods, including plastic bags, newspapers and cigarette
lighters, to orchestrate an interesting musical experience. If you are
beginning to think that your eight-year-old could do it, you are dead wrong.
What sets the performers apart from every other wannabe performer is the fact
that they seemingly possess the talents of super-humans.
Beyond
their paranormal co-ordination, the each member of the cast bring
dancing, rhythmic and acting skills to the table. The combination of various
dance influences and the addition of percussion ranging from the skilful
shaking of match boxes to the mind-blowing manipulation of broom sticks, results in a unique
end-product guaranteed to blow you away. This is all topped off with a very
loose comedic storyline, guaranteed to keep you laughing and engaged throughout
the entire show.
The
great thing about STOMP, and perhaps the
source of its universal appeal, is that it transcends all age, race, gender and
language barriers. Anyone who remotely enjoys music and dance will adore the
show. South African audience will definitely appreciate some of the
show’s evident African influences alongside the aggressive hip hop and
contemporary dance.
STOMP will be staged at the Artscape Opera House in
Twanji Kalula © 2006